Elizabeth Kolbert to speak at Williams College
Williamstown — Class of 1946 Environmental Fellow-in-Residence Elizabeth Kolbert will hold a conversation at Williams College about her book “The Sixth Extinction: An Unnatural History” on Monday, Sept. 12, at 8 p.m. on the MainStage of the ’62 Center.
“The Sixth Extinction” is the Williams Reads book selection for fall 2016 at Williams College. The book won the Pulitzer Prize for general nonfiction in 2015, and investigates the future of Earth and the possibility of human extinction by examining natural history and Kolbert’s own reporting in the field.
Kolbert is a staff writer for the New Yorker, and is the author of “Field Notes from a Catastrophe: Man, Nature, and Climate Change” and editor of “The Best American Science and Nature Writing 2009.” Her series on global warming, “The Climate of Man,” won the American Association for the Advancement of Science’s magazine writing award and a National Academies communications award. Kolbert is a two-time National Magazine Award winner and has also received a Heinz Award and a Guggenheim Fellowship.
The event is free and open to the public, but tickets are required for admission. For more information or to reserve tickets, see the Berkshire Edge calendar or call (413) 597-3539. For building locations on the Williams campus, consult the online map or call the Office of Communications at (413) 597-4277.
–E.E.
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The Whitdiots to present comedy improv show
Pittsfield — The Whitdiots comedy troupe will present another night of improvised comedy at the Whitney Center for the Arts on Monday, Sept. 12, at 7 p.m. The performance will include games, audience participation, and general tomfoolery. The show is free an open to the public. For more information, contact the Whit at (413) 443-0289 or info@thewhit.org.
–E.E.
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Craig Harris to perform at Lee Library
Lee — Master percussionist, educator, and the author of “Heartbeat, Warble, and the Electric Powwow: American Indian Music” (May 2016) Craig Harris will visit the Lee Library on Monday, Sept. 12, to offer two programs. From 3:30 – 4:30 p.m., Harris will lead “Drum Away the Blues,” in which he will describe and demonstrate how assorted percussion instruments can provide adults and children with stress relief tools for emotional balance. From 6 – 7 p.m., Harris will present “An Introduction to Native American Music, a multimedia and participatory celebration of the music of Indigenous North America. The program combines archival video and audio, informative discussion, and collective music-making in a soundscape spanning from the “heartbeat” of powwow drums and the “warble” of wooden flutes to the electrifying sounds of Native-infused rock, jazz, reggae, country music, blues, hip-hop, and electronic dance music. For more information, contact the Lee Library at (413) 243-0385 or lee@cwmars.org.
–E.E.
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Intersection Austerlitz to present ‘Costume and Culture: Designs for Life’
Spencertown, N.Y. — Spencertown Academy Arts Center, in collaboration with the Austerlitz Historical Society and the Edna St. Vincent Millay Society at Steepletop, will present the second annual Intersection Austerlitz regional celebration of art, literature, and history on Saturday, Sept. 17 from 9 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. This year’s program, titled “Costume and Culture: Designs for Life,” focuses on the innovation, practicality, and creativity found in fashion and fabrics. The three organizations, located within minutes of each other, will jointly host workshops, exhibits, and demonstrations.
The day will begin with a welcome at the new Austerlitz Town Hall, 812 Rte. 203. At 10 a.m. at the Spencertown Academy Arts Center, milliner Victoria DiNardo will lead a hands-on workshop to create a headband/mini-fascinator. From 10 a.m. – 4 p.m. at Old Austerlitz, the Austerlitz Historical Society will offer free demonstrations and exhibitions on flax processing, wool and linen clothing, bedding and artifacts from private homes. At 1 p.m., Phyllis Chapman will present “Lucy Larcom: A New England Mill Worker in the 19th Century.” Also at 1 p.m., Jennifer Touchstone will lead a free “hands-on” wet-wool felting activity suitable for children as well as interested adults. The Edna St. Vincent Millay Society at Steepletop will present an exhibition titled “Around The World: The Honeymoon – 1924” from 10 a.m. – 4 p.m. about the eight-month honeymoon of Edna St. Vincent Millay and Eugen Jan Boissevain. At 2:30pm, Steepletop will welcome Sarah Parker, a lecturer in English at Loughborough University in the United Kingdom, to give a lecture about how Millay used fashion and photography to forge an iconic celebrity image. Following the lecture, refreshments will be served from 3:30 – 4:30 p.m.
Advance-purchase $35 Passports for the day include all activities, workshops, and presentations at all three venues, plus morning coffee and snack, gourmet boxed lunch, and afternoon reception. Advance registration and lunch orders will close on Wednesday, Sept. 14. Day-of $35 Passports will be available at each venue. Various exhibitions will be open to the public for free. See the Berkshire Edge calendar for tickets and more information.
–E.E.
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BFMC to offer film workshop
Pittsfield — In collaboration with the Berkshire Film and Media Collaborative (BFMC), Berkshire Community College (BCC) will offer the workshop “Beginning Film Production I” beginning Tuesday, Sept. 20.
The workshop will provide a foundation in the principles, techniques and equipment involved in video production. Students will write, produce, direct and edit individual short projects and participate in group projects. Upon completion of the course, students will be able to understand the basics of narrative, scripting, camera operation, direction, lighting, sound and nonlinear editing. They will also be able to demonstrate proficiency in camera operation including framing, exposure, focus and movement as well as competency in nonlinear editing software and the terminology of video production/post-production.
Students will need a digital camera for the course, which can be anything from a smartphone to a camcorder to a DSLR. Those who do not have access to a camera may discuss alternatives with the instructor. PCs will be used; however, students may also use their own computers and software.
The cost of the workshop is $320. The workshop will meet for eight Tuesdays through Nov. 8 from 6:30 – 8:30 p.m. in Room 210 of the Koussevitzky Arts Center. For more information or to register, call BCC’s Office of Community Education and Workforce Development at (413) 236-2127.
–E.E.
